Tag Archives: gardening

Permaculture Lecture

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Permaculture Gardening Strategies
Prepared for Siskiyou Permaculture, Permaculture Design Course January 2011

1) Plan for plant succession. Start gardens on your worst soils. Remember trees and shrubs fill in and are the natural successors of pioneer plants like vegetables. Ideally, start with veggies and end with forest garden. Be aware of arrested succession.

2) Rainwater harvest. Consider size of storage and amount needed, seedlings love rainwater, planting basins, swales, deep mulch, gravity feed from rain tanks, greywater, city water costs.

3) Frost drainage. Layout the garden to drain cold air from planting beds and down paths. Cold air flows like molasses and can be drained from garden under gates and fences.

4) Sheet mulch. Suppress weeds and increase soil fertility and moisture by mulching with newspaper and cardboard. Deep (1 ft.) straw mulch for late summer.

5) Attract Pollinators and Beneficial Insects. Plant a series of flowers that provide nectar flow and habitat year round to encourage insect diversity to your garden.

6) Small ponds. Create habitat for frogs, toads and birds by building small ponds in your yard.

7) Collect micro-climate information. Set up a mini-weather station in your garden with a rain gauge and a maximum/minimum thermometer. Weather information will help you determine where and when to plant your garden. Record on desk or large wall calendar.

8) No till. Plant perennials. Perforation, mulch, top dressing and plant roots build soil structure from the top down.

9) Benefits of home gardening: Psychological health, fresh medicinals, increased nutrition in your food, seed saving, developing soil for future needs, learning how to do it in case we need to know.

Garden Elements: Additional things to think about in planning your home landscape and garden.

    • Wind protection for both house and garden
    • Sun bowl
    • Shade your house in summer, preserve solar access in winter
    • Water drainage
    • Outdoor rooms
    • Wildlife to invite in and wildlife to keep out (distract)
    • Frequently visited areas near the house and main walkways
    • Height layers
    • Maximizing usable space
    • Dynamic accumulators
    • Plant guilds
    • Plan for the amount of time you can spend gardening
    • Field crops (corn, beans, squash) in community gardens and open spaces
    • Share specialties from home micro-climates

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A FEW FAVORITE GARDENING RESOURCES
Books:
Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally, by Robert Kourik, 1986
A permaculture based overview with extensive sections and charts on fruit trees, companion planting, cover crops, and more. Author based in northern California.

Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley, Year ‘Round & Month by Month, Jackson County Master Gardener Association. Not strictly organic, but it de-emphasizes nonorganic methods. Gives you important local recommendations for timing and success in our climate.

Gaia’s Garden; A guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway, updated 2009
The permaculture backyard classic explains how to get your garden to pop.

Sunset Western Garden Book
Still the landscapers essential guide. Organized as an encyclopedia, and addressing western climate issues, it includes lists of recommended plants for wind, deer resistance, sizes, etc.

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties, by Carol Deppe, 2000

The Resilient Gardener, by Carol Deppe

Four Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman, 1999

The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming, Fukuoka, Masanobu. Reprinted 2009. Edited by local permie Larry Korn!
New Roots For Agriculture, Jackson, Wes, 1981

Teaming with Microbes; the Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web, Lowenfels, Jeff and Lewis, Wayne

The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book, Stout, Ruth. 1979

On-line Resources:

The Future is Abundant, Species Index, by Shery Litwin. Available on the Siskiyou Permaculture website. http://www.siskiyoupermaculture.org

Plants for a Future, database for edible and useful plants. http://www.pfaf.org/user/plantsearch.aspx

OSU Extension Gardening Encyclopedia online: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/

Sowing Calendar, Hardiness Zones 7-8; Local chart for numerous vegetables prepared through research not experience, but likely still useful.

Click to access Sowing%20Calendar01-14-11.pdf

Pros and Cons of Deep Mulch Gardening, article, http://theprepperproject.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-deep-mulch-gardening/

Siskiyou Permaculture
Melanie Mindlin

Horticulture Report: Oakleaf Hygrangea

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Plant Name: Hydrangea quercifolia Hydrangea_quercifolia_ Oakleaf
Common Name : Oakleaf Hydrangea
Cultivar: Ice Crystal
Plant type: Deciduous Shrub
Height:   3-6 Ft tall – 3-6 Ft wide
Bloom Time: Summer to Fall
Flower Color: Creamy White aging to Pink (clusters of conical shaped flower heads)
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Acid soil, Excellent Drainage
Water Needs: Low to Moderate ( prefers drier soil after established)
Attributes: Showy Flowers, Interesting Leaves that turn red in Autumn, USA Native, Compact Mounding Shrub, Papery Bark, Multi-Stemmed, Fragrant Flowers.
Note: Will not tolerate “wet feet”. Plant will get root rot very fast if left in soggy soil!
Uses: Woodland Plant, Borders, Group Plantings
USDA Zone: 5-9 ( hardy to -20 F)

By Carlotta Lucas

Garden of the Month: Sept. 2015

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The home of Barbara and Len Eaton at 841 Beswick Way was purchased in 2011. The house was remodeled extensively, and a year later they had their daughter-in-law Kelly Eaton design the landscape plans.IMG_0809

Barbara requested that Kelly use native plants and grasses to provide habitat for bees, butterflies and birds. They had two oaks and a small madrone in front, and the few tall pines in the back that were the backbone of the garden. Some grading was done, the paths and structures put in and the drip irrigation and dry cree841 Beswick Wayk bed Installed.

The front was done first with many native tall and short grasses, manzanita, echinacea and an orange witch hazel next to the dry creek bed. In addition, a royal purple smoke tree and a crepe myrtle grow on the right side of the walkway. The wood arbor at the entrance has an Akebia vine which will shade the lovely swing from which you can sit and view Grizzly Peak. Star Jasmine climb the screens on the right.  The large pots, overflowing with bright orange lantana and red geraniums, give a happy welcome to visitors.

IMG_0832Walking down the driveway you can look up and see the bee hive in the oak. Kelly put in a few plants that have drip only to preserve the oaks. When you enter the back gate you will be met with a lovely cascade of hardy geraniums, alyssum, yellow lantana, a family fuchsia and a pink crepe myrtle. Lizzy the family dog sits on the stairs to greet you and lead you into a path that takes you to the center three-tiered fountain.

When you look to the back garden there is a very large wood-beamed arbor with a wisteria that will shade the right side. In the center is a fireplace. Again Barbara has filled some large pots with blue black salvia and more lantana which the bees are feasting on. To the right and down behind the garage are raised vegetable beds that produce a variety of tomatoes, string beans and pumpkins.

IMG_0830The garage wall has a large espaliered Star Magnolia and two pot stands filled with cascading Creeping Charlie and Creeping Jenny. Under the towering pines is a Cherokee Chief dogwood and a flagstone pathway which has Blue Star Creeper and flowering thyme covered with many happy bees. Another lime- leaf smoke tree and a yellow witch hazel complete the path. The city of Ashland did audits for water use and fire safety which passed, with the City even putting photos of the garden on their website. This garden was on the garden toFullSizeRenderur of the AAUW in 2014.

Len has a shop where he will be building the gate to their own piece of paradise. He also mows the lawns and helps with the fall cleanup while Barbara maintains the gardens. They have achieved their desire for a habitat that keeps the bees, birds and butterflies happy and “at the end of the day” they both enjoy sitting in the swing and looking up at Grizzly Peak.

 

 

Planting for Drought Tolerance and Deer Resistance

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Destructive deer and hot, dry summers are two very common issues in the Rogue Valley. Drought tolerant and deer resistant plants are a good combination to aim for because the qualities in plants that repel deer can often be found in drought tolerant species- such as heavy oil content, textured or hairy foliage, strong odors, and tough, less succulent leaves. The key to keeping drought tolerant plants happy and more unpalatable to deer is to give them the habitat they are used to- so don’t water them every day just because its 90 degrees!

Good drainage is usually essential- if you don’t have it, you’ll probably have to water even less

No heavy fertilizing: Use only organic or slow release fertilizer if called for at time of planting. Over fertilizing will attract deer. If the plants look yellow it is usually from too much water, not lack of fertilizer.

Dedicate an area to drought tolerant plants: Don’t mix plants that need regular water with drought tolerant plants. Do not put them on the same irrigation system & timer or one group will suffer.

Do not over water! It’s best to plant drought tolerant plants in early spring or early fall so they can get established with the rains.

  • Once established many plants do not need summer water.
  • They will only need an occasional deep soak.
  • Don’t plant them where they will get extra water from lawn areas or runoff from other irrigated areas.

 How to get good drainage:

Mound up soil when making new beds or planting a new plant. Create a berm. Plant drought tolerant plants on a hillside or slope

Mulch with at least a 1″ layer of 1/4″-io gravel to keep dirt from rotting the crown of plant, to retain moisture during heat and keep plant roots warmer in winter

For clay soil amend with 1/4″- io gravel (sharp edge, no fines) and compost will help break down clay over time.

 How to water drought tolerant plants

Observe- most plants need to dry out before the next watering- stick your finger a few inches into soil (well below mulch, which will feel dry), if it is cool and damp, don’t need to water yet.

Infrequent But Deep Soak: This trains plants to have deep roots, not shallow. Often a deep soak every 2 weeks in heat of summer is enough- easier to do with drip irrigation than sprinklers

Watering rule of thumb (depends on site and soil type)

  1. 1st year of planting water deeply once a week for first month of summer,
  2. Then water once every 2 weeks for 2nd and 3rd month of summer
  3. Water once a month the 2nd summer and don’t water again.

 How to find drought tolerant plants

Look to natives- can tolerate summer drought and winter wet

Look to Mediterranean plants- similar climate (also cold hardy Australian and northern California plants, hardy desert plants/succulents) get help from your local nursery!- we’ve talked to countless customers and worked in our own gardens and have seen what works

How to find deer resistant plants

  • Look around your neighborhood drive or walk around heavy deer areas- Jacksonville, hills of east Medford, wooded parts of Ashland- observe what has been chewed- deer can be very neighborhood specific
  • Read lists, but be ready to experiment
  • use Liquid Fence, Plantskydd, or similar product on all new plantings to discourage initial browsing
  • Use cages around most new trees- to prevent antler damage and new growth chewing
  • Deer damage can depend on time of year you plant- when deer are especially hungry in fall and winter they can graze on almost anything
  • Use poisonous, strongly scented or sharply textured plants (grasses, sometimes prickly/thorny textures, fuzzy/hairy leaves, pine needles, etc.)
  • Talk to your local nursery- we know from our experiences and those of our customers and landscapers what has worked and what hasn’t

By: Christie Mackison, Shooting Star Nursery

Pollinator Plants

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Butterfly Garden:
Black-eyed Susan  – Rudbeckia hirta
Blue Wildrye – Elymus glaucus
Butterfly Bush – Buddleia davidii
California Buckeye- Aesculus californica
Cardonna Blue Sage – Salvia nemorosa ‘caradonna’
Catmint – Nepeta faassenii
Coreopsis Coreopsis – sp. C. verticillata
Dwarf Goldenrod – Solidaga canadensis
Dwarf Maidengrass-  Miscanthus sinensus
Gay Feather – Liatris spicata
Idaho Fescue – Festuca idahoensis
Joe Pye Weed – Eupatorium maculatum
Junegrass – Koeleria macrantha (formerly Koeleria cristata)
Jupiter’s Beard – Centranthus ruber
Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia
Mexican Sunflower – Tithonia rotundifolia
Michaelmas Daisy – Aster novi-belgii
Milkwood – Asclepias sp.
Oregano – Oregianum vulgare
Ornamental Oregano – Origanum x ‘Rotkugel’
Perennial Sage – Salvia superba
Purple Cone Flower – Echinacea purpurea
Rockrose – Cistus purpureus
Rose of Sharon – Hibiscus syriacus
Shasta Daisy – Chrysanthemum maximum
Sulfur Flower (buckwheat) – Eriogonum umbellatum
Sweet William – Dianthus barbatus
Vervain (Purple top) – Verbena
Yarrow – Achillea millefolium

Amphibian & Reptile Garden:
California Black Flowering Sedge – Carex nudata
Compact Oregon Grape – Mahonia aquifolium
Kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos – uva-ursa
Oceanspray – Holodiscus discolor
Red-twig dogwood – Cornus stolonifera
Reed Grass – Calamogrostis acutiflora var. Karl Foerster
Scouler’s Willow – Salix scouleriana
Snowberry – Symphoricarpos albus
Soft Rush – Juncus effusus

Bird Buffet:
Amaranth – Amaranthus sp.
Morning Glory – Ipomoea sp.
Sorghum – Sorghum bicolor
Sunflower – Helianthus

(List from N. Mountain Park, Ashland OR – Habitat Gardens)